Adventure, June 1911 — page 180: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

366 “Folly, or not,’’ I replied, “‘it is the truth! I intended to show it privately to Sergeant McQuade. He was in Exeter at the time and I placed it in the drawer for safe keep- ing; when he returned that evening, it was just in time to listen to Major Temple’s story of his experiences in China, and when he had finished, it was close to midnight and the matter had completely slipped my mind. The inquest the following morning took my entire attention, and after that the sudden arrest of Li Min, and our departure for London. You know what has occurred since. I had forgotten the matter com- pletely until I received this telegram from Miss Temple not half an hour before you came.” I took the dispatch from the table and handed it to the Inspector, who read it with interest. ‘“‘Why did Miss Temple send you this?” he inquired suddenly. “I do not know—TI suppose she thought it would be of interest to me.” ; “Did it not occur to you that it might be an the nature of a warning?” Again I saw a chasm yawning before me. “Miss Temple has no reason to suspect .me of any part in the matter,” I replied. “Do you think it likely that, if I had com- mitted the murder, I could have left such damning evidence where the police would have been certain to discover it, and wrapped in my own handkerchief? I am as innocent of any complicity in Mr. Ashton’s murder as you are!” “I HAVE no objection, Mr. Mor- gan, to outlining a theory of the murder which seems to fit the facts as we know them. Miss Temple, desperate and detesting Ashton, retired to her room, but could not sleep. At some hour later she went to Ashton’s room. He refused to give up her letter, they quarreled and in her rage she grasped the poker and struck him with it. Believing him only stunned, she se- cured the jewel, but fearing to take it from the room and wishing only to prevent Mr. Ashton from using it, she hid it in the cake of soap. The pieces, collected upon her handkerchief, were thrown out of the win- dow. But on feeling Ashton’s heart, she found it very weak, and to destroy the evi- dence, she threw the poker out of the win- dow, and hurriedly left the room, forgetting the handkerchief in her agitation. Toward morning she decided to flee and Adventure changed her clothes and shoes, but once more went to Ashton’s room, to assure her- self that he no longer lived. In doing this she awoke you, by accident or design. She threw herself upon your mercy, and you agreed to stand by her, advised against running away, but suggested that she go down and get the poker so that it might be replaced or otherwise disposed of. You meanwhile entered the room, bolted the door on the inside, and left by the window. It is probable that you examined the body, your hand became stained with blood, and you rested it upon the sill while closing the window. . You then reentered by the hall window, meeting Miss Temple and taking the poker from her. ‘You placed it in your room, meanwhile urging her to change her dress and shoes. A little later you aroused the house and re- bolted the window while Major Temple was not observing you. You later secured the soap containing the jewel. You no doubt intended to replace the poker, but no oppor- tunity occurred.” , : He glanced at me triumphantly. I laughed, though with little mirth. ‘Why don’t you simply say I killed Ashton and put the weapon in my dresser, and leave Miss Temple out of it entirely?” I said. “It’s equally plausible.” ‘‘Possibly so, though that would account for neither the handkerchief nor Miss Tem- . ple’s leaving the house that morning,” ‘She has already accounted for the one, she can readily do so for the other,” I re- plied. “That we shall see,”’ said the Inspector, rising from his chair. ‘We will go to Exe- ter at once, and question Miss Temple,” CHAPTER XII A DISAPPEARANCE | | ee BURNS and his companion had left me to myself on the trip down, and I turned over in my mind the curious events of the past forty-eight hours. My conversation with: Miss Temple:on, the night of the murder had, I presumed, been overheard by one of the servants,’ from whom it had been wormed by McQuade’s men during my absence. But the thought that Muriel Temple could be guilty was preposterous. I knew that I was preju- diced in her favor, that I had come to Jove Go DOOKS ANUC (©